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ALBUQUERQUE – Gilbert G. Caldwell, 45, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his cocaine trafficking conviction.

Caldwell was arrested in Feb. 2015, and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. According to the complaint, Caldwell attempted to purchase 125 grams of cocaine from undercover law enforcement agents on Feb. 12, 2015, in Doña Ana County, N.M. Caldwell was subsequently indicted on the same charge on May 28, 2015.

On Dec. 15, 2015, Caldwell pled guilty to the indictment. In entering the guilty plea, Caldwell admitted meeting a person who unbeknownst to him was an undercover narcotics agent at the Sunland Park Casino on Feb. 12, 2015. Caldwell gave the undercover agent $4,500.00 in exchange for a white powder that he believed was cocaine but was in fact fake cocaine. Caldwell made the purchase with the intention of selling cocaine to others.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the DEA and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.